Lady A walks own path

Well I am a bloke after all, but after chatting with a local single lady I have gained some of an insight into the mindset of an independent woman.

My interviewee hasn't taken the regular path through life that is often taken, and sometimes expected of women: to get married, have a couple of kids and spend the rest of your time trying their hardest to make it all work.

She has veered from the well-trodden track to build a successful and educated life; the life that she wants to lead.

But she wishes to remain anonymous, so in this article I will refer to her as Lady A.

Lady A describes her motivations behind choosing to be an independent woman.

"It's the way things have turned out for me, but because I've chosen my lifestyle I can see both sides clearly and that's put me in an interesting position," she said.

"I have chosen not to weigh myself down with a husband and children and follow what the status quo is doing.

"I've watched other women I know lead that life and they're dropping like flies from obesity and bad health to make me think that something's not quite right with it all."

Having several friends who are married with children, Lady A said that at times some women with families tried to make her feel bad for the choices she had made.

"Some women try to make me feel selfish to live my own life," she said.

"From my perspective I can't think of anything more selfish than to have two, three, four or five children without being able to properly take care of them.

"Some of them go on to become these families that have got so many kids and they're crying poor when really they should know they're getting themselves into."

Lady A said some women class having kids as a big achievement and said that she felt self-reliance was sometimes an even bigger achievement.

"I have friends that never went anywhere or did anything other than get married and have kids," she said. "That's fine but there is a big world out there and I want to experience it all while I can.

"I find comfort in knowing I can take care of myself and I look forward to contributing to the world in a positive way to really enjoy my life."